Search below for stories about ships, lighthouses, sailors and anything else about life on Lake Michigan. The database contains references to articles from the Ahnapee (Algoma) Record (June 12, 1873 to Jan. 7, 1927), the Door County Advocate (Nov. 8, 1861 to Dec. 22, 1949), and the Manitowoc Pilot (June 14, 1859 to Dec. 28, 1899). The results will direct you to the date and page in these newspapers where the article can be found.
Microfilm copies of the Ahnapee (Algoma) Record are available at the Wisconsin Historical Society Library in Madison, Algoma Public Library in Algoma. Microfilm copies of the Door County Advocate are available at the Wisconsin Historical Society Library in Madison, the Door County Public Library in Sturgeon Bay, and the Brown County Library in Green Bay. Microfilm of the Manitowoc Pilot are available at the Manitowoc County Historical Society, the Manitowoc Public Library, and the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison.
Check with your local library about obtaining the microfilm via interlibrary loan.
| Newspaper | Object | Name | Date | Page | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Three Bells | 1869-05-20 | 4 | Specifics on cargo | |
| Door County Advocate | Scow | Three Bells | 1896-05-16 | 5 | Wind bound mosquito fleet | |
| Door County Advocate | Schooner | Three Bells | 1894-09-22 | 5 | Stranded on west side of bay | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Scow | Three Bells | 1874-04-16 | 4 | Broke her jib boom in passing through upper bridge | |
| Manitowoc Pilot | Schooner | Three Bells | 1884-12-18 | 3 | Went to pieces at Good Harbor while tug Morford was trying to release it | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Three Bells | 1895-06-06 | 3 | Took shelter here last Tuesday. She was leaking quite badly, and when she reached the harbor had 2 or 3 feet of water in her hold. | |
| Door County Advocate | Scow | Three Bells | 1883-05-24 | 3 | Freighting cedar | |
| Door County Advocate | Scow | Three Bells | 1883-05-10 | 3 | Ran into elevated walk of the pier light at canal | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Three Bells | 1883-07-12 | 3 | The schooner Three Bells took on a cargo of bark for H. Gericke, yesterday. | |
| Ahnapee (Algoma) Record | Schooner | Three Bells | 1875-04-29 | 8 | Loaded Tuesday, in harbor with wood and posts for Perry. |
This database is a cooperative effort of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association (WUAA), the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS), and the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. The project is spearheaded by WUAA member Russel Leitz, who helped develop a framework for the database and painstakingly combed through 54 years of the Ahnapee (Algoma) Record, 87 years of the Door County Advocate and 40 years of the Manitowoc Pilot for maritime news. The more than 50,000 references are the fruit of his labor alone.